Woman&#39;s undervest.



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Eva A. Y. QUEENS, on PHILADELIIHIA, PENNSYLVANIA;

WOMAIWS unnnnvnsr.

To all whom it may concern; 7

Be it known that I, EVA A. Y. QUERNs, of Philadelphia, in the county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Womens Undervests, whereof the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

In said drawings, Figure I, represents a front view in elevation of theupper portion of a vest embodying my invention.

Fig. II, is a top or plan view of a typical double band strip oflace-work edging adapted for carrying out my'invention.

FigjIII, is a transverse sectional View through the neck-band on theline III, III, of Fig. I. v

Fig. IV, is a transverse sectional view through theshoulder strap on theline IV,

IV, of Fig. I.-

1 My invention relates to womens undervests, the main body of which isformed of knit fabric, and the'improvements are addressed to the upperportion of the garment, z. 6., the parts located at the neck andarmholes.

Heretofore it has been the usual practice to surround the neck-band andarm-holes with an edging strip offabric comprising longitudinal edgestrips connected by transverse bars so arrangedas to leave relativelylarge openings between the bars through which a ribbon is passed,sometimes by threading in and out around the alternatev bars or elsepassin wholly behind them, the two ends of the ribbon being usuallybrought out in the front where they are tied in a bowk t :1.

Under these circumstances, the ribbon becomes a conspicuous part of thegarment, not only when it is directly exposed to view, but when it isseen through a thin and relatively translucent fabric employed as anover-garment. When thus partly seen, it mars the appearance of thegarment, by-

Specification ofLetters Patent. Patented Aug, 20 1918; Application filedJune 2, 1916. I Serial No. 101,223. g

strap practically invisible, and yet at the same time maintaining whatmay be called the open-workjefleot, so desirable in an edging of thischaracter. 7 a I In the drawings,which illustrate a typical embodimentof my invention, 1, represents the main body of the undervest, whoseupper portion has the usual Configuration indi cated for the front andrear edges 2, and 3, respectively, and for the arm-holes 4, which latterare initially open across the top.

I form upon a suitable machine, a relatively wide strip of ornamentaledging, (which may be termed an open-work fabric, as distinguished fromthe close texture of the knit fabric of thebody), said strip having thefollowing characteristics. It'co'mprises two main-longitudinal bands 6,and 7 of a width substantially equal to that of an ordinary tyingribbon, said bands having a structure which, while in a general sense,possesses the characteristic of open-work, embodies fig-' ures ofsuchcharacter andfrequency as to constitute a Well covered face, or onewhich, by reason of the disposition of the heavier lines,-becomessubstantially obscuring when viewed against a fiat surface. The figuresupon the two bandsare similar and are symmetrically arranged so as toregister laterally, as indicated. Along the exterior edge of each band arelatively light and open border, such as-8, and 9, are applied, and thetwo main bands are integrally united by an intermediate strip of fabric10, having the general characteristic ofthe' lighter borders,

but considerably wider than either of the latter. 1 i

The stripuof :edgingis folded along its longitudinal center sohthat theborders 8,.-

and 9, meet and these are sewed to the upper edge of the body asindicated at 11, in Fig.

III, the main or neck-band being carried continuously across the openingat the upper portion of each arm-hole, as indicated at 12. A secondfolded band 13, similar in structure to the neck-band, and havingfigures symmetrically arranged with relation to those of. the latter,has its meeting edges sewed around the edge of the arm-hole opening andalso sewed to the meeting edges of the neck-band at the region acrossthe shoulder, 2'. 6., at the interval between the front and rearextremities of the upper portions of the arm-holes as shown in Fig. IV.ribbon 15, is then inserted through the pocket formed around theneck-band and in a bow-knot.

When the neck-band is thus constructed;

the said ribbon is substantially invisible, notonly' at the front andrear portions of the" neck-band, but also (what is very much moreimportant for satisfactory appearance), across the top of the shoulderstraps.

Under the system at present employed, and where a double band offabricis employed at the shoulder straps, the ribbon or tape is veryconspicuous and this feature becomes' disagreeably emphasized when theshoulder straps are seen through a comparatively light translucent dressfabric.

I By my improvements, and through the employment of a substantialobscuring open- Work strip, the ribbon or tape is practicallyindistinguishable and hence the shoulderstraps are uniform-throughouttheir entire extent, and the front and rear portions of the neck andboth portions of the arm-hole are characterized by a structure which issimilar throughout. t

In making the abovestatement, I have not any reference to what may becalled the design of the garment, or of the neck and shoulder bands,because saiddesign is susceptible of a wide variation.

The merit of the invention does not lie in the attractiveness of thedesign, per 86, but in the employment,in conjunction with a mechanicalelement, (the ribbon) otherwise objectionable to the eye, of an edgingof such structure that while it has thenormal decorative effect of anopen-work fabric, its appearance is not disturbed by said element, andwhichmoreover lends itself to symmetrical union at the region of theshoulder straps and symmetrical continuance when divided at the regionsleading around-the lower portion of the arm-hole and around the back andfront of the neck.

I am aware that the use of a tubular hem, formed'of the same fabric asthebody and "entirely concealing adrawing'string, isold (topics of thispatent may-be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the fi ommissi oner of Patentsl in garments, and I am also aware, as above stated,that the use of bar work edging with an inserted ribbon, alternately exosed and concealed, is old in garments o this character. Hence I do notclaim either of such structures, nor do I claim broadly} the use of aclosely covered lace-work edging for a garment, my invention residing inthe peculiar combination which attains the advantages of an openworktube at certain regions of a'particular garment, and'allow's theemployment of a drawingstring, without the recognized disadvantagesheretofore characteristic of suchst'ructuresg p Having thus describedmy. invention, I

claim: it

In a vest, the combination of an under-f body formed ofknit fabric andhavingarm holes open atthe top, a neck band formed of a strip of fabriccomprisingtwdrelaftively wide main bands of open-Work embroidery havinga pattern which is'fun i formly substantially obscuring throughout itsentire length, said main biands beingjin tegrally united andfoldedlongitudinallyto= form a ribbon pocket, the longitudinal edges ofsaid foldedband being. secured tothe edges of the underbody at the frontand} back, and said neck band being carried across the opening'at thetop o-f the arm-1 holes; and arm-hole bands'formed of folded piecessimilar to those of the neck band,

and having their longitudinaljedges secured to the edges of the lowerportion of the armholes in the body fabric andto'the meeting edgesof theneck band along g the portionwhich extends 'across the top, ofthe aimgholes, anda ribbon in the pocket oftheneck ban'd, substantially assetforth. s In testimony whereof, MI have hereunto signed my name atPhiladelphia,-Pennsylf Vania, this twenty-seventh dayof May,- 1916.

p I EVA A. Y. QUEENS. Witnesses: I

JAMEs I-I. BELL, E. L. FULLERTON.

Washington, D. G.

